Track-level



magy/wf@ s@ F. P. LONGCOR.

TRACK LEVEL.

APPLICATION F1LD1uLY2o,|9|e.

lw.. Patented May 25, 1920.

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FRANK P. LONGCOR, OF KEOKUK, OWA.

TRACK-LEVEL.

Application filed .Tully 20,

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK P. LoNGcon, a citizen of the United States,residing at Keokuk, in the county ot Lee and State oi owa, have inventedcertain new and useful lmprovements in Track-Levels, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to measuring devices or instruments andcontemplates primarily an improved combined level, gage, and measuringdevice oi a construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In describing my invention in detail reterence will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1, is an elevation of my improved combined track level and gage,

Fig. 2, is a top plan view,v

Fig. 3, is an elevation, the opposite sidel from that of Fig. 1 beingillustrated, FFig. 4, is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig.7 5, is asection on the line 5-5 of Fi 3,

4ig. 6, is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the manner inwhich the sightinfr board is withdrawn, and

ig. 7, is a similar view illustrating the manner in which the track gagebar may be moved.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates the stock or body ofmy improved device. A spirit level 2 is made a part of the stock or body1 to indicate, when the device is placed transversely of a railwaytrack, whether or not the rails lie true and level.

One face of the stock or body is cut away as indicated at 3 forthereception ot a gage bar of a size and construction to snugly ht thespace 3 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3. Extensions 5 are formed,one at each end ci the gage bar 4, said extensions, when the gage bar ismoved or extended, fitting between the railway rails to thus gage andaccurately determine whether or not the mentioned rails lie parallel.Retaining strips or bands 6 (preferably three in number), are fastenedas indicated at 7 to the stock or body 1, and are utilized as afastening means for the gage bar 4. A block 8, if desired, may beutilized to releasably hold the gage bar 4 in raised position againstSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 11920.

191e. serial no. 110,400.

movement in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3 when said gage bar is notin use. By removing the block, the bar will descend so as to project theextensions 5 thereof below the lower edge of the stock 14 to theposition shown in Fig. 7.

At one end of the stock or body 1 and operating in a transverse groove9, is a graduated strip or bar 10 of a length to extend beyond theterminals of said groove. A retaining strip 11 is utilized to hold saidbar 10 in said groove. In use, the block 8 is removed to permit the bar4 to tall so that its terminals 5 may depend below the lower 'edge otthe board. One terminal 5 is engaged against the inner surface of thetread of one rail, and the opposite end ot the board is then movedupwardly or downwardly, as the case may be, until the level 2 indicatesthat the horizontal position of the board is correct. The bar or scale10 is then dropped until its lower end rests upon the top surface of thetread ot the rail, thus enabling the operator to ascertain the exactdiierence in elevation of one rail over the other.

Coming now to a description of the sighting board, 12 designates thementioned board in its entirety, the same, as illustrated in Fig. 1,being normally held in a recess or cut-out portion 13 formed in thestock or body 1 upon the opposite side thereof from that receiving thegage bar 4. The retaining strips or bands 6 are conjunctively utilizableas a means for holding not only the gage bar 4 in place, but as aholding means :tor the sighting board 12. It desired, the mentionedboard may be longitudinally graduated as at 12 to designate in inchesand fractions thereoie a particular rise necessary in leveling a railwaytrack in the laying thereof.

In use, the sighting board is placed transversely oi' the rails andrested at each end upon one of the rails. |The sighting board is locatedon the rails at the point last leveled, and the operator assumes arecumbent position, adj acent one of the rails at a point some distancefrom the sighting board. Previous to assuming this position, however, ablock is placed upon the rail at the lowermost point thereof, andanother block is placed upon the same rail at a point adjacent theposition of the operator. The operator then glances across the top ofthe rst block and notes the` points on the sighting board coincidingwith the top surface of the second block so that the eXact amount ofdepression of the low point in the rail can be noted.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsit is evident that my combined device may be conjointly used as a meansto determine the proper spacing of the railway rails, as a means toaccurately gage the rise of one rail above the other on a curve, and asa nieans to level the track during the laying thereof, that each of thevarious parts is so correlated with the stock or body l as to form, whennot in use, substantially a part thereof; and that by terminating thespace 3 formed in the stock or body l short of the ends thereof,longitudinal movement of the gage bar 4 in the space 3 cannot under anycircumstances be obtained.

It will be understood that the above description and accompanyingdrawings comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of myinvention and that various minor changes in details of construction,proportion and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope of theappended claims and without sacricing any of the advantages of myinvention.

Having thus fully described my invention,

` what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A device of the character described comprising a board having arecess adjacent its lower marginal edge, a gage bar slidably mounted insaid recess, a transverse groove at one end of the board, a scaleslidably mounted in said groove, and means adapted to normally hold thegage bar in a raised` raised or inoperative position.

ln testimony whereof I aiiix iny signature in presence oi' twowitnesses.

f FRANK P. LONGCOR. Vilitnesses J. A. WHETsToNn, W. S. Hown.

